Commemorative coin marking Prince Philip’s ‘life well lived’ revealed for the first time

  • Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveils new coin commemorating the Duke of Edinburgh
  • Chancellor unveils new £5 coin commemorating the life of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.
  • Coin presented on Armed Forces Day 2021, recognising the Duke’s years of naval service and support for Her Majesty The Queen.
  • Design features original portrait of the Duke and will be struck by the Royal Mint.


A new coin to commemorate the life of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has been unveiled by the Chancellor today.

The special edition £5 coin features an original portrait of The Duke to celebrate his remarkable life. The coin’s design was approved by The Duke before his death in April this year and is being launched on Armed Forces Day 2021.

The Royal Mint will also make a £50,000 donation to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to support its important community work in the UK and internationally.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “This coin is a fitting tribute to The Duke of Edinburgh, who moved and inspired so many people around the world with his decades of service both to the nation and Her Majesty The Queen.

“I’m proud to unveil the coin on Armed Forces Day, considering his distinguished naval career and unwavering dedication to our Monarch and to his Royal duties, and it is only right that he and the Queen are depicted together on both sides of it.”

Anne Jessopp, Chief Executive of The Royal Mint, said: “Since the passing of The Duke of Edinburgh in April, many have commented that he led a life well lived. He was the longest serving consort in British history, and patron or president to over 750 organisations – including The Royal Mint Advisory Committee.

“The Royal Mint has marked significant Royal events for centuries and is honoured to unveil an original new coin which celebrates the life and legacy of a remarkable man. It feels fitting that this coin – which was personally approved by the Prince – will also support the work of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. The Awards have benefited millions of young people since they were formed in 1956, and are perhaps Prince Philip’s greatest legacy.”

Ruth Marvel, CEO of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards said: “This wonderful tribute will help us build on The Duke of Edinburgh’s legacy so more young people can start their DofE Award journey and develop the skills, resilience and self-belief they will need to successfully navigate the challenges of adult life.”

The coin will be available from the Royal Mint website today, as well as post offices around the United Kingdom and special stockists across the Commonwealth and worldwide.

The design was personally approved by The Duke of Edinburgh in 2008 and drawn by the acclaimed artist Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.

The Duke of Edinburgh was the longest serving consort in British history, and for decades provided steadfast support to Her Majesty The Queen and The Royal Family.

“It’s what I like to describe as a do-it-yourself growing up kit”

The Duke of Edinburgh Awards

The Duke of Edinburgh founded the #DofE awards in 1956. Now operating in more than 140 countries, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has helped to transform the lives of millions of young people in the UK and across the globe, through the International Award.

Inspired by the Moray Badge, for which Prince Philip had worked whilst a pupil at Gordonstoun School, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award challenged young people to serve their communities, experience adventure and to develop and learn outside the classroom.

Throughout the UK, over 300,000 people are usually taking part in DofE programmes at any one time.

In tribute to The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award are collecting and sharing people’s #DofE stories and experiences, creating the first-ever nationwide collection of ‘DofE memories.’ https://www.dofe.org/memories/

The #DofE is widely recognised as the world’s leading youth achievement award.

Over 13 million people have participated in the International Award in more than 168 countries and they have launched the first-ever global collection of Award memories.https://intaward.org/memories/

A message from The Earl of Wessex has sent a message to all those who have shared #DofE stories and their memories of his father, The Duke of Edinburgh.

Read it here: https://bit.ly/3e44uSr

His Royal Highness remained committed to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award from its inception and continued to be involved.

In total, The Duke attended over 500 Gold Award ceremonies, attended by up to 300 young people at a time, since the #DofE was founded.